End of life care

Healthwatch Cambspboro organised a one-day event in St Ives in the centre of Cambridgeshire on 27 March 2019 to discuss what people wanted from end of life care. More than 130 people attended the event.

Key findings

Why people don’t talk about death

•  People felt that it is difficult or “taboo” to talk about death
• When raising it with family members, people said they were told it was too soon to talk about death
• Some people had spoken with older relatives, but not with their children
• People find the legal processes to set up arrangements and wishes are confusing and the language used is also complicated
• Some people mentioned that the costs associated with these processes are difficult to meet.

What people have planned

• 50% of people said that they had written a will
• Very few people had set up Lasting Powers of Attorney or Living Wills
• Nobody had set up Do Not Attempt Resuscitation or Advance Decisions
• Some people had told their families that they wish to be organ donors
• Some people had purchased funeral plans.

What would make it easier to talk about death

• Practical, easy to understand information and some ideas of what topics need to be discussed and how to go about it
• Simple explanations of the various legal processes and associated costs
• It was suggested that information could be provided as part of people’s GP Health Checks between the ages of 40 and 74.